Device for Cleaning Floors and Similar Surfaces

ABSTRACT

A device for cleaning floors and similar surfaces, comprising a stick, connected, at a terminal portion thereof, by way of kinematic connection means, to a supporting means, which is associable with cleaning means, the supporting device comprising at least two arms, which lie along respective main longitudinal directions and are mounted so that they can rotate with respect to said stick about a respective articulation axis in order to pass, upon insertion of said supporting means in a wringing basket associated with a water containment bucket, from an extended condition, in which the respective main longitudinal directions define a working surface, to a retracted condition, in which the respective longitudinal directions of said at least two arms are angularly spaced from the working surface, return means being further provided which are adapted to return said supporting means to the extended condition as a consequence of disengagement from said wringing basket.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a device for cleaning floors andsimilar surfaces.

BACKGROUND ART

Currently, among the manual devices used to wash floors, the most widelyused is the so-called scrubbing brush, which is constituted by a stickthat can be gripped at one end by the user and is connected, at theother end, to a brush-like element, which is arranged at right angles tothe longitudinal axis of the stick and is to be associated with a wetfloor cloth.

The floor cloth must be periodically rinsed and then wrung so as toremove the collected dirt and allow to wet the floor cloth again.

This operation, by using the devices briefly described above, is usuallyperformed by hand, with considerable inconvenience for the user, sincein addition to performing an effort he/she is forced to dirty his/herhands or to wear suitable gloves.

In order to try to solve the problems noted above, floor cleaningdevices have been proposed which have, at the end of the stick that isopposite to the one to be held, a floor cloth constituted by a bundle ofstrips of fabric, which can be wrung without being touched by engagingthem with an appropriately provided perforated cup that is associatedwith the bucket that contains the water for cleaning.

However, although this device, usually called mop, is valid from theconceptual standpoint, it forces to use a floor cloth that has aparticular shape and therefore must be provided specifically.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to eliminate or at least drasticallyreduce the drawbacks noted above in known types of device for cleaningfloors.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide adevice for cleaning floors that allows to wring the floor cloth withouthaving to touch it.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device forcleaning floors that allows to use currently commercially availablefloor cloths.

This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparenthereinafter are achieved by a device for cleaning floors and similarsurfaces, comprising a stick connected at a substantially terminalportion, by way of kinematic connection means, to a supporting meansthat is associable with cleaning means, characterized in that thesupporting means comprises at least two arms, which lie along respectivemain longitudinal directions and are mounted so that they can rotatewith respect to the stick about a respective articulation axis in orderto pass, upon insertion of the supporting means in a wringing basketassociated with a water containment bucket, from an active or extendedcondition, in which the respective main longitudinal directions define aworking surface, to a wringing or retracted condition, in which therespective longitudinal directions of the at least two arms areangularly spaced from the working surface, return means being furtherprovided which are adapted to return the supporting means to the activeor extended condition as a consequence of disengagement from thewringing basket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will becomebetter apparent from the description of some preferred but not exclusiveembodiments of a device for cleaning floors according to the invention,illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a device for cleaningfloors according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom elevation view of the device for supporting thecleaning means;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of the supporting device, taken alongthe line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top elevation view of a bucket for containing water forcleaning floors;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the device for cleaning floors in thecondition in which it is inserted in a wringing basket associated withthe water containment bucket;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the supporting device associated with acloth in the wringing or retracted condition;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a cloth; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the cloth, taken along the line VIII-VIIIof FIG. 7.

WAYS OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In the examples of embodiments that follow, individual characteristics,given in relation to specific examples, may actually be interchangedwith other different characteristics that exist in other examples ofembodiments.

With reference to the figures, a device for cleaning floors, generallydesignated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a stick 2, which isconnected to a supporting means 4, at a substantially terminal portion 2a, by way of the interposition of kinematic connection means 3.

The supporting means 4 provides support for, and can be associated, alsoby using per se known means, with cleaning means 8, such as a cloth 11,a floor cloth, a piece of fabric or the like.

According to the present invention, the supporting means 4 comprises atleast two arms or flaps 5, which lie along respective main longitudinaldirections. In particular, the arms 5 are advantageously extended alongdirections starting radially from the kinematic connection means 3,i.e., substantially at the terminal portion 2 a of the stick 2.

The arms 5 are fitted so that they can rotate or oscillate with respectto the stick 2 about a respective articulation axis 100, in order topass, as clearly shown by FIGS. 1 and 5, as a consequence of the user'sinsertion of the supporting means 4 in a wringing basket 20 associatedwith a water containment bucket 21, from an active or extended condition(shown in FIG. 1), in which the main longitudinal directions of the arms5 define a working surface that in practice corresponds to the surfaceof the floor, to a wringing or retracted condition (shown in FIG. 5), inwhich the respective longitudinal directions of the arms 5 are angularlyspaced with respect to the working surface.

Also according to the present invention, return means 6 are providedwhich are adapted to return the supporting means 4 to the active orextended condition as a consequence of the disengagement of saidsupporting means 4 from the wringing basket 20.

In greater detail, the arms 5 comprise a respective active face 7(designed to be directed toward the floor during use), which is designedto face at least partially a portion of the cleaning means 8.

As clearly shown by the figures, in the active or extended condition therespective active faces 7 of the arms 5 lie on said working surface.

Advantageously, the wringing basket 20 is substantially cup-shaped andis provided with at least two walls 22, which form a plurality ofdraining openings 23 that converge toward the bottom 24 of thecontainment bucket 21.

Each one of the walls 22 forms a wall for the engagement of a respectiveportion of the cleaning means 8, which is associated with a respectiveactive face 7. In particular, in the wringing or retracted condition,the active faces are arranged parallel to a respective wall 22.

With particular reference to the embodiment shown in the figures, thesupporting means 4 comprises two arms 5, which are opposite one anotherwith respect to the substantially terminal portion 2 a of the stick 2.

At least one of the two arms 5 is fitted so that it can rotate, withrespect to a fixed part 9 that is associated with the kinematicconnection means 3, about an articulation axis 100, which liessubstantially at right angles to the respective main longitudinaldirections of the two arms 5.

The return means 6, which conveniently can be constituted by at leastone spring 10, can act between said fixed part 9 and at least one of thetwo arms 5 or, as in the illustrated example, between the two arms 5, soas to keep (and return, after insertion within the wringing basket 20)the supporting means 4 in the active or extended condition.

Advantageously, the cleaning means 8 comprise a cloth 11, optionallymade of microfiber, which has a substantially sheet-like structure.

In this regard, the active faces 7 can have means 12 for retaining thecloth 11, which are constituted for example by a plurality of pins 13that protrude from the active faces 7 and have an enlarged head 13 a.Said pins 13 are designed to penetrate at least partially the cloth 11,accordingly anchoring it stably to the supporting device 4.

In order to prevent the presence of the cloth 11 associated with thearms 5 from hindering the rotation of the arms about the articulationaxis 100, the cloth 11 can conveniently have at least one continuouslongitudinal portion 11 a, which is arranged outside one of thelongitudinal edges 5 a formed during the active or extended condition bythe two arms 5; in this case, moreover, the cloth 11 has a substantiallytransverse cut 11 b, which is arranged substantially at the articulationaxis 100.

With particular reference to the embodiment shown in the figures,conveniently the cloth 11 comprises two continuous longitudinal portions11 a, which are arranged outside the longitudinal edges 5 a of the twoarms 5.

Within the cloth 11 there is a substantially U-shaped cut, which has twoparallel portions 11 c, arranged at said longitudinal edges 5 a of thearms 5, and there is a portion 11 b for connection between the twoparallel portions 11 c, arranged at the articulation axis 100.

Conveniently, the kinematic connection means 3 comprise at least onearticulated element 14 for connection between a cup-shaped element 15that can be coupled to the end of the stick 2 and the fixed part 9.

According to an important object of the present invention, thecontainment bucket 21 can be associated with a collecting receptacle 30which is arranged, during use, below the wringing basket 20 and isadapted to collect the (dirty) water that exits, during wringing, fromthe cleaning means 8 and passes through the draining openings 23.

Operation of a floor cleaning device according to the invention isevident from what has been described above.

In particular, when the arms 5 are in the active or extended condition,the faces 7 associated with the arms 5 define a working surface thatensures an optimum extension of the cleaning means 8.

If the cleaning means 8 are to be wrung, by inserting the supportingmeans 4 in the wringing basket 20 the arms 5 are folded and arranged ona plane that is substantially parallel to the walls 22.

In particular, the dirty water that exits from the cloth 11 duringwringing is optionally collected in the collecting receptacle 30; inthis manner, the water contained in the containment bucket 21(optionally with detergent) is kept clean.

The force (and any sliding action) applied by the user to the stick 2 istransferred to the cleaning means 8, which are pressed against the walls22, releasing the dirty water, which falls through the draining openings23 into the collection receptacle 30.

Once this wringing procedure has been ended simply and effectively byremoving the supporting means 4 from the wringing basket 20, the arms 5are returned to the active or extended condition thanks to the action ofthe return means 6.

All the characteristics of the invention described above asadvantageous, convenient or the like may also be omitted or be replacedwith equivalents.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modificationsand variations, all of which are within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Thus, for example, the supporting means 4 can be associated with threeor more arms 5, which protrude radially from the kinematic connectionmeans 3 and are intended to pass from the active or extended conditionto the wringing or retracted condition by means of a substantiallyumbrella-line closing motion.

The arms 5 might also fold in the opposite direction (i.e., by tendingto close on the opposite side with respect to the stick 2); in thiscase, the wringing basket 20 should be optionally and convenientlyprovided with locking elements, which can be slidingly engaged by thecleaning means 8 supported by the arms 5 in the wringing or retractedcondition.

In practice it has been observed that the invention has achieved theintended aim and objects in all of its embodiments.

In particular, the device for cleaning floors according to theinvention, in addition to allowing, thanks to its adaptability, to cleaneven surfaces that are difficult to access, avoids the need to manuallywring the conventional floor cloths that are used.

Moreover, it has been observed that the device for cleaning floors canbe used in combination with floor cloths (and cleaning means in general)of various shapes, which are easily commercially available or can bemade at home.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes anddimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of theart.

All the details may further be replaced with other technicallyequivalent elements.

Features which are already known may opportunely be subject of adisclaimer.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application no. SA2003A000019, fromwhich this application claims priority, are incorporated herein byreference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed byreference signs, those reference signs have been included for the solepurpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordinglysuch reference signs do not have any limiting effect on theinterpretation of each element identified by way of example by suchreference signs.

1-13. (canceled)
 14. A device for cleaning floors and similar surfaces,comprising a stick, which is connected, at a terminal portion thereof,by way of kinematic connection means, to a supporting means, which isassociable with cleaning means, wherein said supporting device comprisesat least two arms, which lie along respective main longitudinaldirections and are mounted so that they can rotate with respect to saidstick about a respective articulation axis in order to pass, uponinsertion of said supporting means in a wringing basket associated witha water containment bucket, from an active or extended condition, inwhich the respective main longitudinal directions define a workingsurface, to a wringing or retracted condition, in which the respectivelongitudinal directions of said at least two arms are angularly spacedfrom said working surface, return means being further provided which areadapted to return said supporting means to the active or extendedcondition as a consequence of disengagement from said wringing basket.15. The floor cleaning device according to claim 14, wherein said atleast two arms comprise each a respective active face, which during useis arranged so as to face at least partially a portion of said cleaningmeans, the respective active faces of said at least two arms beingarranged on said working surface in said active condition.
 16. The floorcleaning device according to claim 15, wherein said wringing basketcomprises at least two walls having a plurality of draining openings,that converge toward the bottom of said containment bucket, and formengagement walls for a respective portion of said cleaning means that isassociated with a respective active face.
 17. The floor cleaning deviceaccording to claim 14, wherein said supporting means comprises twoopposite arms, at least one of said two arms being fitted so that it canrotate, with respect to a fixed part, about an articulation axis that issubstantially perpendicular to said respective main longitudinaldirections of said two arms.
 18. The floor cleaning device according toclaim 16, wherein said containment bucket is associated with acollection receptacle, which during use is arranged below said wringingbasket and is adapted to collect the liquid that passes through saidplurality of draining openings.
 19. The floor cleaning device accordingto claim 14, wherein said return means comprises at least one spring,which acts between said fixed part and at least one of said at least twoarms or between said two arms, in order to keep said supporting means insaid active or extended condition.
 20. The floor cleaning deviceaccording to claim 15, wherein said cleaning means comprises a cloth.21. The device according to claim 20, wherein said cloth comprises atleast one continuous longitudinal portion, which is arranged outside arespective longitudinal edge of said two arms, and a substantiallytransverse cut, which is arranged at said articulation axis.
 22. Thefloor cleaning device according to claim 21, wherein said clothcomprises two continuous longitudinal portions, which are arrangedoutside the longitudinal edges of said two arms, and a substantiallyU-shaped cut, which has two parallel portions arranged at saidlongitudinal edges and a portion for connecting said two parallelportions, which is arranged at said articulation axis.
 23. The floorcleaning device according to claim 20, wherein said cloth is a clothmade of microfiber.
 24. The floor cleaning device according to claim 20,wherein said active faces comprise means for retaining said cloth. 25.The floor cleaning device according to claim 24, wherein said retentionmeans comprises a plurality of pins that protrude from said active facesand have an enlarged head.
 26. The floor cleaning device according toclaim 17, wherein said kinematic connection means comprises at least onearticulation element for connection between a cup-shaped element thatcan be coupled to the end of the stick and said fixed part.